ManiakJiggy
This is How Movies Should Be Made
Benas Mcloughlin
Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
Francene Odetta
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
pensman
Yes it pulls at the heart and yes it has some wonderful humor of situation and yes with only three short five episode seasons it's just way too short. Prem Sharma, Sanjeev Bhaskar, arrives from India with his wife, Kamini. His wife, who is accustomed to a comfortable life in India replete with servants and mixing with the best people, is horrified to see her new home in South Wales. The town is a backwater replete with the usual cast of idiosyncratic British oddballs--think Doc Martin ( Martin Clunes) and the inhabitants of Portwenn. If the first series, Prem must fight for the hearts and minds of the locals against a rapacious mine supervisor in the form of Richard Sharpe, Mark Williams (think Harry Potter and Father Brown). Prem must also fight against some inner demons arising from the loss of his daughter in India. And, yes he is successful. But he must endures gossip about a non existent "relationship" with Megan Evans (whose husband is dying of emphysema), the gossip of a busybody shopkeeper, and shenanigans of Dan Griffiths the local child hooligan. The second season centers around a smallpox outbreak; and the third, about bringing the sleepy town into the swinging 60's big time. Every member of the cast rings true and you cheer for the good guys and want to hiss the villains. Only downside here is just three short seasons.
loveagoodstory
I'm not a daytime TV viewer but I block-recorded this from a Sky channel because the trailers of beautiful rural Wales, Sanjeev Bhaskar and BBC Drama looked intriguingly promising. It's certainly delivered. Sanjeev Bhaskar is always good, in my opinion, and coupled with an excellent and fabulous Ayesha Dharker and a very solid cast, they bring the stories to life nicely without getting clichéd or all Heartbeat. The simultaneous claustrophobia and freedom of their situation is clear but not overworked. There's no sixties tracks lazily ladled over every scene, possibly because the lovely Welsh village and breathtaking scenery are a far better way of creating the atmosphere. Period drama that doesn't feel like a period. Look out for the quality from Mali Harries and Naomi Everson and immerse yourself in a good story.
Varun Bali
Dark Comedy, Melancholic drama, the acting is brilliant, the backdrop is as apt as apt can be. It has a very LOTR-shire like characteristics. It takes you to a different world, yet its a real world. The cast is small but intricately woven so you know the characters in and out. There always a background story line "noise" - which stays with you all the time yet does not let you get preoccupied with the outcome. Its probably the most "human" show i have seen in a long time. Sanjeev Bhaskar has managed to shed his image as a slapstick comedian in this venture. I am sure most people will be pleasantly surprised, and those who are not, give it some time. You'll get involved before you know it. Hope BBC recommissions it.
Helen Chavez
Finally, this excellent series makes it onto night-time viewing on BBC2. This is the kind of programme we British do so very well - a period drama with warmth and humour thrown in. Set in 1963 in a Welsh mining village, it revolves around a doctor newly arrived from India, eager to settle in and get to know the local community. His aristocratic wife, however, is less enthralled, having been used to a life of servants and hob-nobbing with folks such as the Mountbattens, and now having to cope with a cold, antiquated apartment and actually having to do her own cooking. Add a varied bunch of locals, from an outspoken but well-meaning union man to the decidedly iffy coal mine manager, and you have the makings of a gentle, nostalgic yet topical drama set in a time when the government was actively recruiting trained medical professionals from India.Beautifully written and acted, with well-observed characters and a refreshing look at immigration, along with luscious camera-work and a fine sense of period, this is a delightful series. Well done, Auntie Beeb - and more please!!!
